The Daily PM Blog
What Happens if We Succeed?
April 22, 2013
We are so trained as project managers to look for what can go wrong on a project that we sometimes forget to prepare for when things go right! The following article provides examples of projects and companies that were successful beyond expectations and what you can do as a project manager to prepare for this welcome occurrence.
The company started small. As a matter of fact, it couldn’t have started any smaller. It was one guy in one truck, travelling to local new and used car dealerships to fix minor scratches, scrapes, dents, and other blemishes on cars. He toiled day and night perfecting...
3 Ways to Mitigate Misunderstandings on Projects
April 19, 2013
How do misunderstandings arise? You may have just said something to one of your team members, and the next time you hear it a week later, its meaning has completely changed! The following is a story of how it happens in corporate life and what you can do to minimize information from being blown out of proportion.
Every Thursday morning the executive staff meets for a debriefing. Each department is given a seat at the table, including the Project Management Office (PMO). The executives provide an ever so brief rundown of what was accomplished the prior week, what’s coming up, and what help...
How Working Together as a Team Diffuses Project Management Heat
April 18, 2013
Things heat up every day on our jobs as project managers. Misunderstandings arise, dates are missed, and sometimes tempers flare. What can a project manager do to cool things down? The following article provides insight into areas that generate heat and how you can bring things down to a reasonable temperature again.
When a space shuttle reenters the Earth’s atmosphere, the friction exerted on its bottom surface creates heat up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit . To protect shuttles from these ridiculously high temperatures, NASA scientists developed heat resistant tiles. These ingenious tiles ar...
The Single Greatest Quality Every Project Manager Must Possess
April 17, 2013
There are all kinds of skills, qualities, and talents you must possess to be a successful project manager. You need to be able to see the big picture, break it down into smaller pieces, and assemble it together again. You need to be a leader, motivator, inspector and persuader. But, all of these qualities mean nothing unless you have…
Credibility.
That’s right. I’ll just come right out and say it rather than have you wait until the end to hear it: the single greatest quality every project manager must possess is credibility. Now, it’s up to you if you want to read on to find out ...
Good vs Bad Project Managers
April 16, 2013
What's your project management style? Watch this project management training video to learn more about what makes good vs bad project managers.
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5 Tips for Not Letting Someone Else Push Your Buttons
April 15, 2013
There are some people in our professional lives that we just don’t like. They do and say all the wrong things and ultimately cause our projects to be late. You can choose to blow up and get angry, or deal with them in a professional manner. Below are some reasons why people push our buttons and how we can deal with them professionally.
I was furious! Jim drove me crazy every time I had to deal with him, but today was over the top. Not only did he run the IT department and have control over a sizable part of the company, he was responsible for managing client projects and keeping them happy. ...
3 Ways to Not Succumb to Corporate Mob Mentality
April 12, 2013
Being near an angry mob is terrifying. You’re never sure what direction they will take nor what harm they could inflict. Did you know there are angry mobs that roam the halls of many of our companies? Find out what gets these angry mobs worked up and the steps you can take to quiet them down.
Do you remember the old movies with Dr. Frankenstein’s monster? He was the cobbled-together experiment that went terribly wrong. Things went so wrong that the whole town felt as if they needed to get involved. So, they assembled themselves and stormed Dr. Frankenstein’s abode!
Put yourself in Dr. Fr...
Do you Really Catch More Flies with Honey?
April 11, 2013
There are two extremes in the continuum of project management styles. One is to be merciless, so that resources don’t run all over you. The other is to be permissive, giving in to demands and allowing yourself to be taken advantage of. Neither approach is very good. There are pros and cons for each, as well as right and wrong times to use them. Let’s look at what they are.
There’s an old saying that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I don’t know if that’s true or not. As a matter of fact, after spending way too much time Googling this aphorism, it seems people ar...
The Remote Control Project Manager
April 10, 2013
They days of the 9-5 office job are largely fading in the rear view mirror for the project management professional. We all work on different schedules and even locations. In spite of this huge shift, those who find themselves working remotely often are not prepared to be separated from the rest of the team. The following article will give you some insight into what you should, and should NOT do when you find yourself in this position.
In a recent article I asked the question, “Are you Present as a Project Manager Even When You’re Gone?” The gist of it was that a project manager’s prese...
First Steps as a Project Manager
April 9, 2013
Learn how to kick off your project and make sure that it will succeed with this brief project management training video about first steps as a project manager.
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